WASHINGTON — House Democrats are increasingly focusing their attention on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with plans to pursue his impeachment as an early priority if the party gains ground in the upcoming midterm elections.
Democratic leaders in the House and candidates competing in closely contested districts have largely declined to commit to impeaching President Donald Trump for a third time should their party regain control of the Republican-led chamber, concerned that such a move could prove politically damaging. Hegseth, however, has emerged as a more immediate target. Democratic lawmakers are preparing for a possible impeachment vote next month, while Republicans still hold the majority, followed by another effort next year if Democrats take control of the House.
“One of the first things we’re going to do in the majority, we’re going to run Pete Hegseth out of town,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, declared during a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, drawing an enthusiastic response from the audience.
Other Democrats have delivered similar criticism during campaign appearances, television interviews and public remarks. Speaking on CNN, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington described Hegseth as “incompetent and, frankly, corrupt.” California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman went further, calling the defense secretary an “unhinged fanatic who should be impeached and removed from office.”
Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson defended Hegseth’s leadership, describing his tenure as transformative and insisting that “the entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision.” She emphasized that the department “is solely focused on peace through strength and ensuring our warfighters have everything they need to be successful.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee who served as a manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, suggested that pursuing a cabinet secretary carries fewer political complications than impeaching a president. According to Raskin, “Nobody lifts an eyebrow” when impeachment of a cabinet official is discussed because removing such an official does not raise the same concerns about lawmakers “undoing a presidential election or undermining the will of the people.”
Should the House approve articles of impeachment, the proceedings would advance to the Senate, where conviction and removal from office would require a two-thirds majority. Such an outcome is considered highly unlikely. Historically, the House has impeached a secretary of war only once: William Belknap in 1876. Belknap resigned just minutes before the impeachment vote and was subsequently acquitted by the Senate.
Hegseth’s leadership has generated considerable controversy in Washington. Members of both political parties criticized his proposal to broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan, the convicted Fort Hood gunman, by firing squad. Trump eventually abandoned that proposal. During Hegseth’s confirmation proceedings last year, Republican and Democratic lawmakers also raised concerns about allegations involving excessive alcohol consumption and a sexual assault accusation dating to 2017, which Hegseth has denied.
Since assuming office, Hegseth has dismissed senior military officials, challenged diversity-related programs, advocated relaxing battlefield rules and supported compulsory testosterone testing. Throughout this year, he has also served as one of the administration’s most prominent public representatives during the war with Iran, overseeing the Defense Department, which Trump has referred to as the Department of War.
Democratic lawmakers contend that Hegseth’s actions already provide grounds for impeachment and believe that winning a House majority would give them both the votes and investigative authority needed to examine additional allegations. Beginning in January, a Democratic-controlled chamber could initiate investigations, publish its findings and consider possible responses, ranging from demands for Hegseth’s resignation to formal impeachment proceedings. If Democrats obtain control and ultimately decide to pursue impeachment, passage through the House would be highly likely.
A preliminary impeachment vote is expected before the current congressional session concludes. However, securing approval while Republicans retain their majority would be substantially more difficult, particularly because most GOP lawmakers have continued to support the defense secretary.
In September, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, an outspoken opponent of American military interventions abroad, presented articles of impeachment against Hegseth on the House floor and attempted to compel an immediate vote. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana subsequently adjourned the chamber, delaying consideration until after the midterm elections. Massie has indicated that he plans to renew his effort shortly after lawmakers return to Washington on Nov. 9, the week following Election Day.
“I saw no other avenue to stop them from waging illegal war,” Massie explained during an interview conducted on the day he introduced the impeachment articles.
Only a simple majority is necessary for the House to impeach a federal official. Republicans currently maintain a 219-214 advantage, including an independent member who caucuses with the party. Assuming every Democrat supports the proposal, Massie would still need at least two additional Republicans to vote in favor. No other Republican has publicly committed to supporting impeachment, although Massie has suggested that lawmakers defeated in their reelection campaigns might become more willing to break with party leadership.
So far, those additional Republican votes have not emerged. Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who lost her gubernatorial campaign this year and is preparing to leave Congress, said she would oppose impeaching Hegseth in November. Although Mace was among seven Republicans who voted last month in favor of ending the war with Iran, she maintained that Hegseth should not be held responsible for the continuation of military operations.
Several other Republican lawmakers have also expressed opposition to removing Hegseth, including Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Warren Davidson of Ohio, according to their own statements and individuals familiar with their positions. Each has previously questioned elements of the administration’s military strategy or supported other resolutions introduced by Massie despite opposition from fellow Republicans.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia, the leading Democrat on the House Oversight subcommittee responsible for military and foreign affairs, expressed confidence that sufficient support for impeachment could already exist, particularly if some Republicans change their positions in November. Regardless of the immediate vote’s outcome, he argued that “it makes sense to delve into all the details of all his issues in the new Congress.” Subramanyam also characterized the 2025 controversy known as “Signalgate” as “impeachable in and of itself.”
The controversy emerged in March when Hegseth shared details about planned military strikes, including aircraft information and attack launch times, in a messaging conversation that inadvertently included a journalist. A subsequent Pentagon inspector general investigation determined that Hegseth had violated departmental regulations by communicating through his personal cellphone. Investigators also concluded that transmitting sensitive operational information hours before the strikes could have endangered American military personnel. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell disputed that interpretation, maintaining that the inspector general’s findings had cleared Hegseth of wrongdoing.